Retro styles always make a come back. They are timeless, and that's the reason why many of today's fashion designs are retro-inspired, throwbacks from the 1960s.
Fashion runways showcase them. Models display them. And designers draw inspiration from the fashion legends of the era, like Mary Quant, Ossie Clark, Biba, and Yves St. Laurent.
In the early sixties, women mainly wore spillover styles from the 1950s. Clothing designs were prim, simple, and proper, typical of outfits worn by style pacesetter, Jackie Onassis. But this soon changed.
The 1960s cultivated a new breed of fashion designers. They were open-minded and adventurous enough to experiment, and body-proud to show more skin than ever before.
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| Retro-Inspired Style |
Clothes
Fashion became casual-like. Less emphasis was placed on style. Clothes became casual, playful, and free-spirited. Examples include:- Shorter skirts
- Higher boots
- Baby-doll dresses
- Rompers
- Jumpsuits
- A-line mini dresses and frocks
- Polka dot patterns
- Bell-bottom pants.
Prints were popular, and so were bold colours, psychedelic patterns, and textures. These were the hallmarks of retro clothing and fashion accessories.
The retro-style skirts and dresses varied in length. There were extremely short mini, micro-mini, calf-length midi, and full-length maxi outfits.
Jewellry
Sixties jewellery was bright, bold, and playful. While pop art and mod influences brought geometric shapes, the late sixties hippie styles leaned toward peace signs, natural stones, and love beads. Other adornments include:- Oversized hoop earrings
- Bright plastic bangles
- Chunky bead necklaces
- Brooches (shaped like flowers or animals)
- Colourful Lucite and enamel earrings
Handbags
Handbag designs ranged from classy to quirky, and boxy top-handle purses (in leather or vinyl) were for everyday use. Others include:- Colourful clutch bags
- Chain-strap shoulder bags
- Fringed suede bags
- Embroidered crossbodies
- Mini bag
Footwear
Shoes in the 1960s were as dynamic as the decade. They were fun and exciting, and they included:- Go-go boots (in patent leather)
- Kitten heels
- Mary Janes
- Platform soles
- Sandals and moccasins (late 60s)
Hairstyles
Hair of the retro-sixties was all about volume and variety, with many hairstyles made popular by silver screen actors. They include:- Pulled-back ponytail
- Ducktail
- Pompadours (hair swept upwards from the face and worn high over the forehead)
- Beehive (big, bold, and backcombed to the skies!)
- Sleek bobs and pixie cuts
- And of course, hair accessories like headbands and scarves were extremely popular.
Post-Retro Fashion
By the end of the decade and into the 1970s, the hippie movement began and with it came long flowing maxi dresses and skirts. Outfits were anything but stylish. They were seen as a less proper way to dress.
How to Be Retro Fashion-Inspired
Wearing this style is a little more difficult to pull off than other vintage-inspired styles. Although retro styles are kind of conservative, with no trims, lace, fancy frills, or embellishments (faux pearls, sequins, beads) typical of the early 20th century, if you are looking for some special occasion wear, they aren’t elegant or chic. But paired well with modern clothes and accessories, you can create an awesome look.
If you want that free, happy, retro look, get clothes that feature fun, whimsical prints, the type that modern styles simply don’t have.
They’ll be perfect for a vintage-modern blend. Having any of these pieces in your closet, you will get the perfect vintage-inspired style.
- Bell-bottom jeans
- Oversized sunglasses
- Fedora hats
- Funky jackets
- Gloves
- Scarves
- Flares
- Slim-fit shirts
- Fly collars
- Block heeled footwear
- Low-rise and hipster pants
To add drama to the look, try retro-type makeup. Make-up was generally heavy, with dark eyeliners, luscious red, dark, or black lipstick, and black nail polish. Retro-inspired fashion enthusiasts still wear much of this heavily made-up look.
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